Process Department

In the smart materials world, the formulation stage is critical. It is too often neglected because of a lack of knowledge of the physical processes involved in these intelligent materials: phase transition, thermodynamics, photophysics.

Our Process department is responsible for all the formulation stages of your project. Our team consists of engineers and technicians who are experts in the field of color intelligence.

Each member has solid scientific skills in chemistry, photochemistry, material science and masters all formulation techniques and processes.

our methodology

Formulation is, by definition, an industrial operation in chemistry that consists in producing a homogeneous and stable material, in the form of ink or paint, with the targeted properties and meeting the requirements of a functional specification.

To succeed in this formulation stage, we consider each development as a new technological challenge: that of integrating the selected pigment filler into a matrix, of shaping it without altering the intelligent properties.

From experience, we know that the application of shear forces associated with the passage of a tricylinder and/or ball mill can alter the crystallinity of the particles. That a simple additive, that a simple variation of the polarity of the medium and/or the pH can affect the thermodynamic equilibrium at the origin of the phenomenon of color change, or even the photophysical mechanisms by modifying the respective positioning of the electronic states.

This ultra-reactivity of smart materials to their environment requires us to verify at each step of the formulation, the maintenance of the smart property.

From experience, we know that the formulation of color change derivatives (thermochromic, photochromic, luminescent, piezochromic, chemochromic...) necessarily entails the verification and readjustment of :

the targeted colors,
the switching speed,
the reversibility or irreversibility of the phenomenon,
the absence of fatigability,
the resistance to aging...

This is a controlled formulation process that requires several round trips between the formulation and characterization phases to finely optimize the expected property. This regularly leads us to rectify the pigment(s)/matrix(es) pair by playing on the nature of the reagents: polarity of the medium, solubility, viscosity...

Depending on the development of the project, work is carried out upstream with the Research Department and downstream with the Production Unit teams to anticipate future constraints associated with the industrial production of the product.

The maturity of our department allows us to be very reactive to accompany your industrial validation tests. Our experts are at your disposal to support your teams. Do not hesitate to contact our Assistance & Consulting Center.

To facilitate the validation plans, we carry out the first prototypes: silk-screen printing, pad printing, dip coating, pneumatic spray in paint booths...

We also study the stability of our solutions by carrying out controlled cycles of temperature, humidity and light: accelerated ageing chamber (QSun), climatic chamber, tropical tests...

Our Process team is frequently asked to integrate a fluorescent and/or phosphorescent material. Beyond the formulation issues, the real challenge is to obtain an optimal luminescence property during the day and night (in color, intensity, duration...) while respecting all the desired durability (light fastness) and processability constraints (surface condition, viscosity...).

To obtain this type of performance, our teams must characterize the photophysical properties at each modification of the formulation.

We adjust the pigment/matrix pairing as needed to optimize the luminescence quantum yield (fluorescence and/or phosphorescence), the day and night color, the excitation and emission wavelengths.

A technical platform of formulation and characterization equipment

We have all the scientific equipment necessary for formulation techniques. Our technological platform also includes various devices for the characterization of solutions with color change and/or optimized luminescence:

Formulation equipment with different types of mixers: tricylinders, speedmixers, Ultraturax dispersers, ball mills;
Devices for characterization of inks and paints: pycnometer, viscosimeter.
Devices to analyze the resistance: abrasion, climatic chambers, aging chambers.
Optical properties characterization devices: colorimeter, standardized lighting booth, spectrofluorimeter, luxmeter, UV/Visible/Infrared absorption spectrometer, integrating sphere, reflectivity, optical microscopy.
Prototyping equipment: we have all the deposition equipment needed to produce the first prototypes: silk-screen printing, pad printing, dip coating, paint booth, pneumatic spray.